About

CARLING CURRIE CUP PREMIER DIVISION

The Toyota Cheetahs dethroned the Airlink Pumas - the 2022 champions from Mbombela - by winning the Carling Currie Cup in 2023. The Pretoria-based Vodacom Bulls won the title in 2020 and 2021. These sides are joined in the 2024 Premier Division by the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV (Durban), DHL WP (Cape Town), Fidelity ADT Lions (Johannesburg), Suzuki Griquas (Kimberley) and Novavit Griffons (Welkom). This season, the teams are divided into two groups of four each by virtue of last year’s standings. The one group will consist of the Cheetahs (No 1 ranked last year), Bulls (4), WP (5) and the Griffons (8), while the second group are the Sharks XV (ranked No 2), Pumas (3), Lions (6) and Griquas (7). Teams will play home and away matches within their respective groups plus a single round of games against sides in the opposite group. In the end, the top four sides on the combined log will progress to the semi-finals, with the two winners set to battle it out in the final on 21 Sept.

The history

The Currie Cup is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world, with the first games played in 1889, but it was only in 1892 that it became officially known as the Currie Cup. The original participating unions were Western Province, Griqualand West, Transvaal and Eastern Province. The first tournament was held in Kimberley and was won by Western Province. The Currie Cup trophy was donated to South Africa in 1891 by the touring British Isles team - it was given to the tourists by Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, the shipping company that transported them to the southern tip of Africa. Sir Donald was clear with his instructions – hand this trophy over to the team in South Africa that gives you the best game. After a spirited display where the unbeaten British Lions narrowly won 3-0, Griqualand West became the first ever holders of the Currie Cup.

Pos	Team	PL	W	L	D	PF	PA	DIFF	TF	TA	PTS
1	Fidelity ADT Lions	10	9	1	0	437	215	222	62	31	43
2	Vodacom Bulls	10	7	2	1	384	266	118	54	37	38
3	Hollywoodbets Sharks	10	6	3	1	351	258	93	48	35	35
4	Toyota Cheetahs	10	5	4	1	352	281	71	50	36	30
5	Suzuki Griquas	10	4	6	0	310	356	-46	46	51	24
6	Airlink Pumas	10	4	5	1	331	391	-60	46	57	24
7	DHL Western Province	10	3	7	0	311	314	-3	41	39	20
8	NovaVit Griffons	10	0	10	0	185	580	-395	27	88	3